To examine the attitudes of pediatric nurses and physicians towards nurse prescribing in the context of pediatric healthcare in China and identify factors influencing support for its implementation.
Key Findings:
Nurses showed significantly stronger support for nurse prescribing than physicians (4.32 ± 0.67 vs. 2.92 ± 0.75, p < 0.001). Perceived benefits and training needs were identified as significant positive predictors of support for nurse prescribing, indicating the need for targeted training programs. Both groups agreed on the appropriateness of prescribing for basic, low-risk medications, suggesting a common ground for future collaboration.
Interpretation:
Despite differing overall attitudes, the shared acceptance of low-risk prescribing indicates a potential pathway for implementing nurse prescribing in pediatric care, emphasizing the critical need for interdisciplinary collaboration and structured training to ensure safety and efficacy.
Limitations:
Convenience sampling may limit the representativeness of the findings and introduce potential biases. The study was conducted in a specific region of China, which may affect generalizability to other contexts.
Conclusion:
The findings support a phased model for pediatric nurse prescribing, highlighting the importance of clear scope definition, standardized training, and legal-regulatory safeguards, which are essential for enhancing pediatric healthcare delivery.
